
Here’s a closer look at the trucking industry statistics highlighting the significance of the backbone of America – truckers.
The trucking industry statistics are truly remarkable. It’s an industry topping $726.4 billion in revenue for 2015 and responsible for six percent of all jobs in America.
If you bought it, they brought it. Truck drivers keep America rolling by driving countless and lonely hours delivering the cargo we desire. Without trucks to ship things, those shelves would be mighty bare and those same-day delivering services from your online shopping wouldn’t be possible without truckers.
Don’t believe us? Check out the trucking industry statistics.
Merge onto any highway and you’ll see countless semi trucks heading in either direction of the road. Seems like they’re endless amounts of them right? You would be correct, in fact 80 percent of all cargo in the USA!

There are 3.5 million truck drivers in the trucking industry who put their life at risk delivering an array of commodities and goods. Drivers operate heavy-duty trucks with a load weighing as much as 80,000 pounds. In 2015, 852 truck drivers lost their life while working, making truck driver the most dangerous job in the USA. So remember to give truck drivers space and don’t tailgate.

Truck drivers haul a variety of goods with machinery, electronic and motorized vehicles making up 27 percent of goods shipped by truck drivers in America. The most common thing trucks haul is machinery, followed by electronics and motorized vehicles. Additionally, mixed freight includes commodities such as food and restaurant supplies.

Let’s face it, without the trucking industry we wouldn’t be able to enjoy the things we have. Shelves would be empty and people would undoubtedly be in a state of panic if that happens. The trucking industry statistics don’t lie!




Trucker Spotlight - Maggie Jessop <em>The Trucker Spotlight series explores the lives of truckers and their journey to make a difference in their industry. We interview different truck drivers to understand some life lessons that make them who they are today. We also learn more about their motivations, and the problems that they encounter on the job. We also tackle how Trucker Path's solutions helped them with what they do. The information that they provide helps inform other people who are looking to delve into the trucking world.</em>
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[img src="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2020/07/maggie3.jpeg" alt=""]
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Today we are putting the spotlight on <strong>Maggie</strong>, who's a trucker and a blogger. She's a mother of eight kids (six sons, two daughters). She taught high school language arts over 20 years time while simultaneously managing a sewing manufacturing company. When her children grew up, she felt the need to learn something new so she wouldn’t get too old too fast. Let's get to know more about Maggie and her colorful story.
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<h3><strong>How long have you been trucking?</strong></h3>
I got my CDL when I was 52 years old and have been driving for 3.5 years.
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[img src="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2020/07/maggie5.jpeg" alt=""]
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<h3><strong>What made you decide to be a trucker?</strong></h3>
I went into trucking mainly to improve my circumstances financially. My previous work experience had been in school, office, and warehouse and I excelled in domestic skills like cooking, sewing, and child care. I got really tired of lady wages. It’s a struggle to make a living unless you’re a rock star, movie actor, or have a string of abbreviations following your name. Trucking was a whole new ballgame with strange new terminology and monster trucks and a terrifying and dangerous environment but it tripled my income.
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[img src="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2020/07/maggie2.jpeg" alt=""]
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<h3><strong>Are there times of loneliness while driving? How do you deal with it?</strong></h3>
Trucking can be boring and lonely if I let it be. I use my solitaire hours to think up ideas and write books in my head. During mandatory rest breaks, I write. So far, I have published two full size memoirs, two children’s books, and fifteen low content books like coloring books, notebooks, sketchbooks, and journals. Trucking and writing make a great team! Rest breaks are too long. I only need seven hours of sleep.
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<h3><strong>What made you start a blog? Any chance you'll start your Youtube channel soon? Any plans of being a CDL Instructor?</strong></h3>
I keep busy driving 60+ hours per week driving over 3,000 miles. I keep a blog called <a href="https://teachertailortrucker.com/">Teacher Tailor Trucker</a>. I am getting ready to publish my third memoir called Stranger in a Strange Land. My fourth memoir comes next and is called Search for the Highroad. It tells the story of my trucking life. I also put out new children’s books every few months. I am also planning to create a YouTube channel. I invested in a home recording studio and plan to record songs, contract voiceover work, and record audiobooks.
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I plan to keep trucking until I can match my income as an author and voiceover artist. Since I have teaching experience, I’m sure I could be a CDL instructor, but my other plans will likely take precedence.
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[img src="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2020/07/maggie4.jpeg" alt=""]
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<h3><strong>What are your trucking pet peeves?</strong></h3>
My pet peeve in trucking is when little car drivers get too close and then want to cuss out the big rig drivers. Car drivers don’t seem to understand that a semi truck and trailer is over 70’ long and weighs 80,000 pounds when loaded. They take much longer to slow down safely. Cars beware! I try to be patient because I was once a little car myself, but sometimes I have to slam breaks and lay on the train horn to get their attention.
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<h3><strong>Could you identify the current pain points in the trucking industry? And maybe some suggestions on how to fix them?</strong></h3>
When I went to CDL school, trucking seemed to be a male dominated industry. I got yelled at, cussed out, made fun of, and told I was waaay too ladylike and persnickety. “You don’t belong in this industry!” they said.
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They said I would get run over because I’m too nice. They said I’d get taken advantage of by the rough characters in the industry. They said I’d never make it and would give up when I finally realized I was out of my element.
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I replied that just because I work like a man doesn’t mean I have to look like a man or act like a man. I said there’s no law in the universe that says truck drivers have to be fat and filthy and foul mouthed and illiterate. I told the naysayers, “I’m not leaving the trucking industry until I make it better.”
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I’m still here. I am a professional driver. I have never had serious trouble on the road. Other drivers treat me with respect. If I ever break down, it’s not hard to find a decent truck driver to help me out. I’ve been treated better by truck drivers than I have by professional office people.
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As a solo driver, I can control my own environment. I can choose my hours, dress how I please, eat how I please, listen to what I please. I keep my truck clean and I exercise every morning. I work hard and wear a dress because I’m a lady.
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I mentioned one pet peeve, but the most unsavory thing about trucking that I’ve ever known is the rudeness and indifference that truckers deal with at shippers and receivers. Office and warehouse workers often treat truckers like they’re on the bottom of the totem pole. I don’t think there should be a totem pole. I believe that all of us should treat the rest of us with respect.
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Those who have never been a truck driver have no clue what truck drivers deal with. I sure wasn’t aware before I became a driver. My respect has grown by leaps and bounds. Think about it. Every single thing you eat, drink, wear, or use in your home or business came from a truck. The Good Lord provided and a Trucker delivered.
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[img src="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2020/07/maggie6.jpeg" alt=""]
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<h3><strong>Where can we read some of your stories on the road?</strong></h3>
Here are some of my blog posts where I share thoughts and experiences about life on the road.
My writing is more on the light side with a humorous approach to life while informing my audience of real life experience. Mine are not the norm but hey, if I can get one smile, it’s worth it.
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<a href="https://teachertailortrucker.com/blonde-moments/">https://teachertailortrucker.com/blonde-moments/</a>
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<a href="https://teachertailortrucker.com/mama-truckers/">https://teachertailortrucker.com/mama-truckers/</a>
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<a href="https://teachertailortrucker.com/triple-trucker-trouble/">https://teachertailortrucker.com/triple-trucker-trouble/</a>
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<a href="https://teachertailortrucker.com/hug-a-trucker-day/">https://teachertailortrucker.com/hug-a-trucker-day/</a>
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<h4>By Aldous Aldwin</h4>
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Trucker Terms [p] If you're going to make it in trucking these are the trucker terms you'll want to remember along with some good ole trucking slang you'll hear on the CB radio. [/p]
[h2] Trucker Terms [/h2]
[p] Being a trucker is not only a unique way of life, it also comes with a unique way of communicating that only those in the trucking industry probably can decipher and understand. [/p]
[p] <strong> 10-4 - </strong> acknowledging something
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[p] <strong> 10-6 - </strong> busy right now
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[p] <strong> 10-8 - </strong> en route
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[p] <strong> 20 -</strong> location
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[p] <strong> 4-Wheeler -</strong> automobile
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[p] <strong> APU -</strong> authorized pick-up
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[p] <strong> Backhaul -</strong> retuning load to home location
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[p] <strong> Bear Trap - </strong> speed radar trap
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[p] <strong> <a href="https://truckerpath.com/blog/freight-contracts/">Bill of Lading</a> - </strong> document that details information regarding the goods being hauled by a carrier from a shipper
[/p]
[p] <strong> <a href="https://truckerpath.com/blog/what-is-a-weigh-station/">Chicken Coop</a> - </strong> Weigh Station
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[p] <strong> Chicken Lights - </strong> Added lights on and around a truck
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[p] <strong> Chocks -</strong>blocks placed in front and behind wheels to prevent truck from rolling
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[p] <strong>Cosignee - </strong>person who receives the goods
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[p] <strong>Cosignor - </strong>person who ships the goods
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[p] <strong> County Mounty -</strong> - county sheriff
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[p] <strong> <a href="https://truckerpath.com/blog/what-is-deadhead/">Deadhead -</a></strong> miles driven with no load
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[p] <strong> Dry Van -</strong>standard enclosed truck trailer
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[p] <strong> ETA -</strong> estimated time of arrival
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[p] <strong> Freightshaker -</strong> Freightliner truck
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[p] <strong> GCW (Gross Combined Weight) - </strong> combined wieght of tractor/trailer and load
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[p] <strong> Gear Jammer -</strong>speeding driver
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[p] <strong>Hammer Down -</strong> drive faster
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[p] <strong> Hopper -</strong> truck that empties load through bottom that opens
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[p] <strong> HOS -</strong>hours of service
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[p] <strong> Intermodal -</strong> shipping container freight
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[p] <strong>Jack-Knife -</strong>when trailer is pushed to the side of the tractor
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[p] <strong> K-whopper - </strong>Kenworth truck
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[p] <strong> Kingpin - </strong> pin where the axel wheel pivots
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[p] <strong> LTL (Less Than Truckload) -</strong> load less than 10,000 lbs.
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[p] <strong> Motor Carrier -</strong> person or company that is responsible for transporting goods via a commercial motor vehicle
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[p] <strong>P&D Driver -</strong> pickup and delivery driver locally
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[p] <strong>Payload - </strong>weight of the load
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[p] <strong>Peddle Run - </strong>route with lots of deliveries
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[p] <strong>Pete - </strong> Peterbilt truck
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[p] <strong>RC (Rate Confirmation) -</strong> the rate shipper or broker agrees to pay carrier to haul a load
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[p] <strong> Reefer -</strong> refridgerated truck trailer
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[p] <strong> Shiny Side Up - </strong> top of truck; don't crash or roll over
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[p] <strong> Sliding Fifth Wheel - </strong> fifth wheel that can be slid back to redistrubute weight on the axels
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[p] <strong>Trucking Authority -</strong>FMCSA approval to haul loads
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[p] <strong>Willy Weaver - </strong>drunk driver
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[h2] Using Trucker Path Along Your Route [/h2]
[p] Now that you know the trucker terms and are talking like a real driver, it's time you use a tool that most truckers rely on to help them save time and money - the <strong>Trucker Path app. </strong> [/p]
[p] Trucker Path is free to download and helps drivers: [/p]
[ul]
[li] Find truck parking with real-time updates [/li]
[li] Browse through the list of amenities a location offers [/li]
[li] Check to see if a weigh station is open or not [/li]
[li] View Walmart locations and know if they allow truck parking [/li]
[li] Compare diesel prices to save on fuel[/li]
[li] Plan their route to show locations along their trip [/li]
[li] Read through fellow drivers reviews of a location [/li]
[li] Find restaurants near truck parking locations and much more! [/li]
[/ul]
[button-green href="https://truckerpath.com/trucker-path-app/?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=truckerterms
"]Try Trucker Path Today![/button-green]
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Trucker Path integrates with McLeod TMS
[p]Trucker Path Truckloads has integrated with McLeod TMS to provide more efficient freight posting.[/p]
[p]Trucker Path, creators of America’s most popular apps in the trucking industry, announced that its freight-matching marketplace Truckloads is now integrated with McLeod TMS Software – an advanced transportation management software for carriers, brokers, and shippers.[/p]
[quote]“The integration of the McLeod Software system within Truckloads allows our mutual customers a simplified upload process to display their freight for the hard to reach over-the-road drivers that depend on mobile technology to find available loads,” said Leigh Foxall, Vice President of Sales at Trucker Path.[/quote]
[p]With this integration, McLeod users can post freight directly to the Truckloads platform through the McLeod TMS where over 85,000 qualified carriers in Truckloads can access them.[/p]
[quote]“McLeod Software is always in search of ways to make the process of offering loads to carriers more streamlined and efficient,” said Robert Brothers, Manager of Product Development at McLeod.[/quote]
[quote]“For this reason, we believe the Truckloads platform will be a perfect fit with our software. Partnering with Trucker Path will keep us more intimately connected with our customers’ needs.”[/quote]
[img src="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2017/04/truckloads-mockup-computer-1.png" alt=""]
[p]Publicly released in March 2016, Truckloads freight platform is available on both web and mobile via the app which has over 300,000 installs across iOS and Android devices – the most of any mobile load board app. Truckloads features over 2.5 million monthly loads and its network of carriers, brokers, and shippers have experienced a steady 20 percent monthly growth rate.[/p]
[quote]“The innovative Truckloads freight platform, allows companies to post freight without paying a monthly fee, contributing to its success as the fastest growing load board in the industry,” Foxall said.[/quote]
[quote]“This new integration is significant in providing greater efficiencies for McLeod users, furthering Truckloads advancements compared to its competitors.”[/quote]
[p]Carriers and brokers can use Truckloads network free of charge, with customized freight searches for carriers including eight different filtering criteria, unlimited access to premium loads as well as the ability to view a broker's’ credit score and days to pay. Mobile Truckloads users can make calls inquiring about a load directly from the app.[/p]
[p]Carriers can also receive push notifications sent directly to their mobile devices when new loads match their criteria. Meanwhile, brokers can easily access information on the number of times a specific load has been viewed by a carrier to assist in moving freight faster and more efficiently.[/p]